Colder temperatures invigorate Camden Snow Bowl, crews ready mountain for opening
A Snow Bowl crew including Richelle Gagne, Matt Bally, Matt Worden, Matt Lavoie, Jeff French, Jake Wilder, Stuart Young and Zak Peterson spent Monday and Tuesday conducting dynamic testing of the triple chairlift.
Dynamic testing involves testing all the brakes, with chairs fully loaded uphill and downhill, forcing the chair into a rollback, and then testing our emergency brakes. This forces the chair to deal with a rollback situation, to make sure the emergency brakes work. The crew also performed the test using our auxiliary power, which mimics a power failure. (Photo courtesy Camden Snow Bowl)
In order to make this real in terms of human weight on the chairlift, they place three boxes on each chair, 240 boxes total, and fill each with water. Each box holds approximately 50 pounds of water. (Photo courtesy Camden Snow Bowl)
Engineer Ross Stevens and electrician Tom Bates assisting Snow Bowl crew with dynamic testing the triple chairlift. (Photo courtesy Camden Snow Bowl)
Snow Bowl crews simulate a rollback on the triple chairlift. This takes place on both charlifts every seven years. Next year, the Snow Bowl will be doing the same test on the double chairlift.
(Photo courtesy Camden Snow Bowl)
(Photo courtesy Camden Snow Bowl)
(Photo courtesy Camden Snow Bowl)
The Snow Bowl snowmakers — Owen Dorr, Emmett Dorr, Adam Jipson, Josh Johnson, Noah Rousseau, Alex Whitman and Keith Turdo are working during the midnight hours making sure the trails are covered with fresh snow. (Photo courtesy Camden Snow Bowl)
(Photo courtesy Camden Snow Bowl)
(Photo courtesy Camden Snow Bowl)
(Photo courtesy Camden Snow Bowl)
A Snow Bowl crew including Richelle Gagne, Matt Bally, Matt Worden, Matt Lavoie, Jeff French, Jake Wilder, Stuart Young and Zak Peterson spent Monday and Tuesday conducting dynamic testing of the triple chairlift.
Dynamic testing involves testing all the brakes, with chairs fully loaded uphill and downhill, forcing the chair into a rollback, and then testing our emergency brakes. This forces the chair to deal with a rollback situation, to make sure the emergency brakes work. The crew also performed the test using our auxiliary power, which mimics a power failure. (Photo courtesy Camden Snow Bowl)
In order to make this real in terms of human weight on the chairlift, they place three boxes on each chair, 240 boxes total, and fill each with water. Each box holds approximately 50 pounds of water. (Photo courtesy Camden Snow Bowl)
Engineer Ross Stevens and electrician Tom Bates assisting Snow Bowl crew with dynamic testing the triple chairlift. (Photo courtesy Camden Snow Bowl)
Snow Bowl crews simulate a rollback on the triple chairlift. This takes place on both charlifts every seven years. Next year, the Snow Bowl will be doing the same test on the double chairlift.
(Photo courtesy Camden Snow Bowl)
(Photo courtesy Camden Snow Bowl)
(Photo courtesy Camden Snow Bowl)
The Snow Bowl snowmakers — Owen Dorr, Emmett Dorr, Adam Jipson, Josh Johnson, Noah Rousseau, Alex Whitman and Keith Turdo are working during the midnight hours making sure the trails are covered with fresh snow. (Photo courtesy Camden Snow Bowl)
(Photo courtesy Camden Snow Bowl)
(Photo courtesy Camden Snow Bowl)
(Photo courtesy Camden Snow Bowl)
CAMDEN — Camden Snow Bowl crews sprung into action this past weekend, when changing weather patterns finally blew colder air into the Midcoast. A hearty band of snowmakers have been working into the early hours of the morning coating the ski trails, while another team has been testing the chairlifts in anticipation of opening day.
Snowmaking is continuing 24/7 and the goal is to open the double chairlift by Christmas vacation week. If the weather continues as it has so far this week, that looks possible, said the Snow Bowl’s Assistant Director Holly Anderson, Dec. 13.
At the same time, staff members are urging the public to stay off Snow Bowl trails until the mountain is officially opened.
"Every year we are forced to deal with people who are understandably excited to get out on the snow here, but it's a threat to everybody's safety and we are asking people to be patient and stay away," said Beth Ward, director of the Snow Bowl. "Let our crews do the work needed to make snow and move it where it needs to be for great skiing and snowboarding."
In order to keep the public and Snow Bowl staff safe, people and dogs are not allowed beyond the parking lot until further notice.
Snow Bowl policy prohibits dogs on skiable terrain, from the lodge edge of the parking lot up the mountain, from Dec. 1 through April 1. Dogs are allowed on the Kuller hiking trail, the ballfield and the parking lot.
The public is not allowed to cross the terrain below the triple chairlift, from the parking lot, to the Hosmer Brook Trail from Dec. 1 to April 1, due to the ongoing movement of work vehicles and heavy equipment in the maintenance area.
“Nobody is allowed to be on the mountain beyond the lodge, and anyone found walking here will be asked to leave,” said Anderson. “There is also no sledding at the Snow Bowl.”
She cited the high pressure water lines, electric cables and dangerous fans that are running to make snow.
“In addition, groomers will soon be pushing snow around to cover the skiable terrain, and all terrain vehicles, including snowmobiles, are moving across the mountain at all hours of the day and night,” said Anderson.
Ward said that if people persist on making their way onto the mountain before it's officially open for the season, she will be forced to contact law enforcement to deal with rule breakers.
"I hope that people will do their part and refrain from going beyond the parking lot until we are ready and can better assure the safety of everyone concerned," said Ward.
The Snow Bowl participated in an Open House on Dec. 10, when the public was invited to pick up their previously-purchased season pass cards, and sign up for upcoming lesson and competition programs. If you missed the event, you can still sign up for programs online at camdensnowbowl.com or send email to skischool@camdensnowbowl.com and race@camdensnowbowl.com.
Season pass cards are available for pickup in the lodge Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you have not already sent in your season pass photo, do so by emailing it to photo@camdensnowbowl.com.
